Outlander: Blood Of My Blood's Ellen Breaks Brian's Heart — Read Episode 9 Recap
I'll admit: Whenever I read or heard about Jamie's parents' tortured love story in the Outlander books and series, I paused two seconds (if that), thought "wow, that sucks" and then kept it moving. There were stones to stand and print shops to visit! I never truly considered how dangerous it was for Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie to defy their families' wills, not to mention social convention, and get together.
That is, I never truly considered it until this week's Outlander: Blood of My Blood, in which a member of Clan Grant threatens to rip Ellen's heart from her chest (!) if she doesn't marry Malcolm, and he definitely isn't speaking metaphorically. And then some Clan MacKenzie-ordered arrows come perilously close to Brian's head at the end of the episode, driving home the point: This love is deadly.
So it's no surprise when Ellen decides to break it off in order to save their lives... but it hurts to watch, nevertheless. Read on for the highlights of "Braemar."
UNCLE MAC IS BACK | The Earl of Mar is throwing a tynchal, which officially is a ceremonial hunt and accompanying festival, and unofficially is a way to get all of our characters in the same spot for hijinks. Simon is going and asks Brian to accompany him; Julia subtly influences him to take her and William, as well, saying that he can show off his official heir/prophecy subject.
The Grants are attending, as well, with Henry and Arch Bug in tow. As they make their way to Braemar, Malcolm's uncle, Mac, rides up, newly arrived from London. He plans to join the party, but first, he wants to stop by Castle Leoch. Upon arrival, he orders Dougal and Colum from the great hall — and, worried about the Grants' financial support of Clan MacKenzie, they go —then interviews Ellen. He's polite and courteous, until he brings up her purity test and why her virtue was called into question in the first place. That's how we get to the heart-ripping threat, which makes even the stalwart Ellen blanch a bit.
GANG'S ALL HERE | Everyone makes their way to Braemar. Brian sees Ellen from across the crowd, standing with Malcolm, and Murtagh can't resist slipping a verbal dagger into his cousin's ribs. "Hurts, doesn't it," he asks, incredibly jerkishly, "seeing the lass you love enjoying the company of another?" Oh, and Mrs. Fitz told him about Ellen's purity gamut, and he's extra ticked off.
Elsewhere on the grounds, Henry sees Julia and little William and goes straight for them. The family Beauchamp only get a minute or two together before Simon sleazes over and refers to Julia as his wife; Henry's face sinks faster than a kettlebell in the shallow end. Lovat whisks his lady away quickly, and Julia can't do much except use the expression playing out over her heavenly-shaped cheekbones to try and convey "I'm sorry and I'll explain later but please just go with this for all of our sakes."
Before Henry can recover, Uncle Mac comes to grab him for Clan Grant business. And no one notices Seema, who also is working the event at a tent nearby.
ROB ROY'S RETURN | The earl has gathered all of the powerful men at the tynchal in a room, because he's got a surprise guest of honor: Rob Roy. Yep, the Earl of Mar is a Jacobite and by the next day wants every clan chieftain there to declare their allegiance (or lack thereof) to the Stewart cause. Two things happen in the discussion afterward. First, Simon learns that Ellen passed her test, and Uncle Mac calls him "a destestable nodcock" (an epithet I'm going to adopt forthwith). Second, Rob Roy runs into Dougal and wonders what happened to the chest of money he promised, which lets Colum know that his brother was planning to give Ellen's dowry to the Jacobites. An infuriated Colum wonders what else Dougal has been keeping from him.
COLUM FINDS OUT | Blissfully oblivious, Ellen and Brian steal a few minutes together as they watch the arm-wrestling competition. Though they pretend to be focused on the contest, they surreptitiously touch hands as he whispers "I love you" into the general vicinity of her ear. (Guys, you're both beaming brighter than the sun. Someone is going to notice!) They make plans to meet later.
Those plans get messed with, though, when Ned brings Ellen to her brothers for a reckoning. Colum is nearly foaming at the mouth with anger because Dougal told him about Ellen and Brian; Colum threatens to kill him. Ellen, in turn, threatens to dissuade the Grants from supporting Clan MacKenzie after she's married. They wind up agreeing that she'll stop seeing Brian as long as Colum won't murder him OR have him murdered — though the way Colum clarifies that he's vowing "from this moment onwards" makes me think that he's already got something in the works. It's ugly, and Ellen is weeping when she leaves, but she gives Colum her word.
ELLEN DOES THE HARD THING | Ellen arrives at the women's sewing circle and winds up sitting with Julia, whom she learns is now married to Lovat. Since Julia already knows so many of Ellen's secrets, she quickly becomes comfortable sharing hers. "How can you bear to be with Lovat, feeling as you do about Henry?" Ellen wonders, dejected and clearly envisioning her own future. "It's dreadful," Julia agrees.
Then, the time arrives: Ellen goes to meet Brian in a clearing, looking like someone died. "We canna be together," she tells him. He won't accept that ("We can find a way!"), but she's resolute. She pulls out the big guns, throwing in his face that he's broke, landless and a bastard (literal) of a bastard (figurative). She's meaner than she wants to be — but she's got to drive home her point! — and he won't let her go until she goes ye olde nuclear: "I'm not in love with ye, Brian Fraser. Perhaps I never was." Then she runs off, sobbing.
Brian stumbles back to his father's tent, where an angry Simon takes his frustration over Uncle Mac's mocking out on his son. Lovat beats Brian, then announces that Murtagh will take his place in the hunt, and "you're not son of mine." Brian is vibrating, he's so mad. "I'm glad to be free of ye," he says, storming out.
MURTAGH SAVES THE DAY | With help from Ned's note-delivering capabilities, Julia and Henry meet during the fight. She throws herself on his mercy, explaining that she only wed Simon to protect William, but he isn't mad. (At least, not on the surface.) "There's nothing to forgive," he reassures her. They're interrupted by Balloch and the wet nurse, so Julia hastily instructs him to meet her at Castle Leathers; she'll leave a mark to guide him. Neither of them see Seema, who overhears all.
Meanwhile, Brian is alone in the woods during the tynchal when a few arrows get WAY too close to his very pretty face: It's the Gallowglass, mercenary warriors who are also at the event. BUT WHO HIRED THEM, EH, COLUM? Brian's life is saved by Murtagh, who tackles him and rolls him to a hiding spot while the assassins pass. "If anyone's gonna kill ye," Murty says, "it's gonna be me."
WHAT COULD IT MEAN!? | Afterward, the earl calls for the chieftains' vote; despite Clan Grant's prior loyalist stance, Uncle Mac proclaims that the family now backs the Jacobites. Everyone rejoices as the earl raises the Stewart flag, but then whispers in superstitious fear when the finial falls off the top of the flagpole.
Elsewhere, under Colum's watchful eye, Ellen bids Malcolm goodbye: The next time they see each other will be their wedding day.
Now it's your turn. What did you think of the episode? Are you ready for the finale in two weeks? Hit the comments with your thoughts!